Notre Dame ready for Chase Rettig -- or any Boston College QB

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Refuting published reports that freshman Chase Rettig would start against Notre Dame on Saturday night, Boston College coach Frank Spaziani insisted that not only does he not know who will start at quarterback, but we might not find out until game time.

And Notre Dame doesn't care.

''They're all cut from the same cloth,'' Irish coach Brian Kelly said after practice on Wednesday. ''They don't have a dual-threat quarterback. All three of those guys are 6-4, 215 pounds, pocket passers within a system.''

Officially, either Rettig, a true freshman from Sierra Madre, Calif., or sophomore Mike Marscovetra, will replace Dave Shinskie, a 26-year-old sophomore who started the Eagles' first three games, but was benched after BC's 19-0 loss to Virginia Tech on Saturday -- its first shutout loss since 1998.

The Boston Globe reported earlier Wednesday that Rettig would be the starter, quoting sources that said he took 80 percent of the practice reps on Tuesday.

"That hasn't been announced yet. We don't know who we're going with yet." said Spaziani, speaking on the ACC football coaches teleconferece Wednesday afternoon.

Rettig is the most highly rated prospect among Boston College quarterbacks. But he would use up a redshirt year if he plays. And if he does, Notre Dame is prepared as it could be to face a player they've never seen live.

''We've watched some high school film on him and he's like their other quarterbacks,'' Kelly said. ''He's strong. He's tall. He's got a strong arm. He's got escapability. We feel like we don't have to prepare for a guy that will take off on us and run the ball 20 times.''